The Sunday Mail
Debra Matabvu
Heavy black clouds hung above Gwatidze Village in Goromonzi as flashes of lightning lit up the grey sky.
Occasionally, villagers gazed at the heavens as sagging clouds foreboded a heavy downpour.
Normally, the rains, which usually come after the blistering October heat, bring with them a huge cheer, especially in rural areas, as they result in lush green pastures for livestock and fresh water to drink.
They also signal the beginning of the farming season.
But on the fateful afternoon of Wednesday last week, far from bringing glad tidings, the rains brought untold grief.
Three minors — Keith, Challenge and Abraham Savanhu — who were cousins —were struck by lightning and died instantly.
The bodies of the two minors are carried to their final resting place.
“When I got to the spot, the three were lying face down, their bodies burnt black and their school uniforms in tatters,” a distraught Mr Steven Savanhu, Challenge’s father, narrated.
“The three were doing Early Childhood Development (ECD) B and they were inseparable.
“They usually held hands whenever we saw them and I suspect they were holding hands on the fateful day, it explains the single file they were lying in when we found them.”
According to Mr Savanhu, the minors, all aged seven, were on their way home from Rusike Primary School around 12pm.
Shortly after leaving the school yard it began to rain.
Some of the minors sought refuge under an old shed.
However, the three cousins, together with two friends, continued their journey back home.
As the minors were crossing a stream which connects their village to the school yard, tragedy struck.
One of the minors escaped unscathed, while the remaining four crumbled to the ground after the spontaneous bolt of lightning.
Some of their desperate classmates tried to help, while others dashed to seek help from the family’s homestead.
Challenge’s father rushed to the scene.
“I immediately recognised my boy’s clothes the moment I arrived at the scene,” Mr Savanhu continued.
“Yet I had to see his face for me to believe what I had been told. I held his body in my arms, I shook him repeatedly.
“He remained quiet, numb and lifeless. I breathed into his mouth to try and resuscitate him. He did not respond. He was young, he was a bright child with a full life ahead of him. It was him that was to bury me and not the other way round.
“I do not understand what went wrong.”
Thankfully, the fourth minor, Nation, was still alive, though unconscious.
First aid was administered and he regained consciousness.
Punishing ordeal
Help was then sought from the police, but they claimed they did not have fuel. “After hours of waiting for the bodies to be evacuated, the family decided to remove them from the scene as it was about to rain.
“I could see the clouds gathering, it was promising to be a heavy downpour,” Alios Savanhu, Challenge’s grandfather, interjected.
“I could not let the rains soak his tiny body again. I borrowed a scotchcart from my neighbours to bring them home.
“On our way home, we met the police, who had managed to secure petrol, and they took the bodies to Parirenyatwa (Group of Hospitals) for a post-mortem.”
However, they were not spared from the fallout of the current job action by doctors, who have not been reporting for duty for the past 82 days.
Upon arrival at Parirenyatwa, the family was told to leave the corpses and return at a later date as there was a huge backlog of post-mortems.
“The only doctor who was around was about to knock off,” Alois added. “The doctor told us he had been on his feet since morning; thus, he needed some rest.
“There was also an issue of backlog for post-mortems since doctors have been on strike. We had to join the queue.”
But as luck would have it, while the distraught family was aimlessly pacing around the hospital, they bumped into a relative, who is a nurse at the hospital, by chance.
She managed to plead with the doctor.
Post-mortems were done the following day at 6pm.
“I felt relieved because I wanted this nightmare to be over, but at the same time, I felt bad for the families that had to endure another day to take their relatives home,” Mr Savanhu added.
Abraham’s body was taken to Seke for burial, while Challenge and Keith would lie side by side in Goromonzi.
Met Department
At the burial, Headman Runesu Gore said the village previously approached the Meteorological Services Department to visit the area and educate the community on precautionary measures that could be taken to prevent the hazards associated the rain season.
“I met with the Met Department in August at the Zimbabwe Agricultural Show and I asked them if they could come and educate my community,” he said.
“There is need for communities to be educated about such issues. Such incidents happen because of lack of adequate knowledge.”
As the send-off ceremony concluded, the rumbling skies threatened to release another downpour on the already traumatised community.
Tips on avoiding being struck by lightning
Avoid going outside when there is lightning activity. Also avoid fields and open spaces as lightning is attracted to the tallest object.
While it is instinctive to seek shelter under a tree when outside, this is dangerous. A car is a safe place to find shelter. Lightning is often conducted through the metal of the car and into the ground.
If caught in an open space, find a hole or ditch to hide in. Try to make your body as small as possible. However, do not lie flat as this is also dangerous.
Avoid using items such as umbrellas or golf clubs.
Inside the house, avoid anything electrical such as plugs, appliances and telephones, as well as taps, basins or pipes, as water is a conductor of electricity.
Do not take a shower during a storm.
Avoid swimming.
Remove anything metal such as jewellery, belts and coins from your clothing and body.
Do not use your cellphone outside during a storm.
